Joy Street (1929) is a messy, fun flapper time capsule

Is Joy Street worth your time today? Absolutely, if you like watching people from a hundred years ago act like they just discovered caffeine for the first time.

If you hate movies where the plot is basically just an excuse for people to wear fancy clothes and dance poorly, you should probably skip it. 🥂

I found a grainy copy of this because I wanted to see Sally Phipps. She plays this girl who moves to the city and, surprise surprise, things get complicated when she starts hanging out with the 'wrong' crowd.

The first thing I noticed is how fast everyone moves. It’s that old-school frame rate thing, but it fits the 'Jazz Age' energy perfectly.

Sally Phipps is just... a lot. She has these huge eyes that seem to take up half her face, and she uses them to do about 90% of the acting. 💃

There’s a scene early on where she’s looking at a dress in a shop window. The way she touches the glass is so earnest it actually made me feel a bit bad for her character.

Nick Stuart is the guy she’s supposed to be with, and he’s fine. He’s got that very specific 1920s 'leading man' hair that looks like it was painted on with black lacquer.

The movie really gets going once the parties start. It reminds me of the frantic energy in Set Free, but maybe a bit more cynical?

The extras in the background of the club scenes are doing the absolute most. One guy in the corner is shaking a cocktail shaker so hard I thought his arm might fly off.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of Joy Street (1929) through its definitive frames.

I kept looking at the furniture in the apartments. It’s all so angular and strange, very Art Deco, but it looks slightly uncomfortable to actually sit on.

There is a specific moment where a character spills a drink and the camera lingers on the puddle for way too long. I don't know if it was supposed to be symbolic or if the cameraman just got distracted. 🤷‍♂️

The plot itself is pretty thin, let's be honest. It’s the usual 'city life is dangerous for pure souls' thing that they did a million times back then.

But the vibe is what matters here. It feels like you're peeking into a room that’s been locked since 1929 and the smoke hasn't cleared yet.

I noticed a weird smudge on the lens during one of the close-ups of José Crespo. It’s distracting once you see it, like a little ghost hovering near his ear.

Some of the titles cards are actually pretty funny, though I doubt they were meant to be. One of them says something about 'the lure of the bright lights' and it’s just so dramatic.

It’s funny how movies from this era either feel like a museum piece or a fever dream. This one is definitely a fever dream.

I wonder if people back then actually talked as much with their hands as they do in this movie. Every conversation looks like a wrestling match with the air.

The middle section drags a little bit. There is a lot of walking in and out of rooms that doesn't really go anywhere.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of Joy Street (1929) through its definitive frames.

But then someone starts playing a piano or a saxophone and the energy spikes again. 🎷

I liked it more than The Captive God, mostly because it feels more human and less like a stage play. It's got more dirt under its fingernails, if that makes sense.

There’s a shot of a car driving down a wet street at night that looks genuinely beautiful. The way the light hits the pavement is better than most of the CGI we see now.

Marshall Ruth has a small part and he’s always great at looking confused. I think he’s the only person in the movie who feels like a real person you'd meet at a bus stop.

The ending is a bit rushed, like they realized they only had five minutes of film left and had to wrap up three different subplots. Everyone just kind of decides to be happy all at once.

It’s not a masterpiece, but it’s interesting. It’s a movie that smells like old perfume and gin.

If you find a version with a decent soundtrack, it helps alot. The one I watched had this screechy violin that almost ruined the mood.

Overall, I’m glad I watched it. It’s a nice reminder that people have been making questionable life choices in big cities for a very long time. 🏙️

The way Sally Phipps shrugs at the end of the movie is probably my favorite part. It’s like she’s saying, 'Well, that was a mess, anyway, what’s for dinner?'

Go watch it if you want to see what a 'wild' night looked like before sound ruined everything. Just don't expect it to change your life.